MARY INGALLS

Nels Ollson had left. Mary had wondered whether Nels would behave as he had when they'd lived in Walnut Grove, before Mary had had scarlet fever and lost her sight. Mary had taken to dropping by the mercantile when Harriet was out making calls, and initially Mary had told Nels that she just wanted to help with the inventory, to build credit towards a new dress.

But then things had changed between Nels and Mary, up in Willie's bed. It hadn't lasted long, their experiences together, and Nels, a conscientious man, had felt tremendous guilt at what had gone on between himself and thirteen year old Mary.

Mary had just worried that her father Charles might hear of it, and end Nels's life… but nothing had happened. Nels had not been Mary's first, John Junior had…but it had been quite significant.

Then things had changed, they'd almost been caught by Nellie, and the love had ceased, or whatever it was, returning to an even stronger friendship. Mary knew that older men who did things with young girls were called degenerates, but Nels Ollson was such a good man!

Nothing had been mentioned between Nels and Mary, not even when they'd been alone together, when Nels had come with Nellie, visiting the school, but the tragedy of Nellie losing her own sight had had quite an effect on Nels, and the very last night Mary had stolen out to the hotel where Nels had been staying.

Certainly, it was all so peculiar…Mary was sweet on Adam, and a little in love with Reckness, and Simon had actually asked Mary to marry him and return to his father's farm. Of course this would not happen, but Mary had enjoyed a few moments in Simon's strong arms.

But she'd felt so badly for Nels, that Mary had stolen off, counting the steps to the hotel, and she'd gone up the back stairs to Mr. Ollson's room. He had been so thrilled, but he'd told her it was wrong—but of course when Mary had reached for him, it had all changed.

The last thing Nels had said to Mary when she'd left his bed just before dawn was, "Look after Nellie…she doesn't have your strength!"

When Mary had returned to her room, she'd found Marjorie Blundell coming out of the door, and when Mary had asked Marjorie why she was there, the half-deaf clubfooted girl had stumbled off, crying. What on earth was that about?

NELLIE OLLSON

This school was quite boring. But it was a bit amusing pretending to be blind, and seeing everyone shuffling about. Half the teachers were sightless, and so Nellie could sit in class and read a Penny Dreadful as the other idiots stumbled through their Braille readings.

Reckness was so mean—he had set up a string across the floor just near Adam Kendall's room, and Kendall had tripped and gotten a bloody nose. Reckness had had to put his hand—clamp it, really—over Nellie's mouth to keep her from screaming in laughter as they'd hid behind the corner.

It had been a bit unfortunate; perhaps, the incident with the fireworks under the carriage when the younger ones went off to church last Sunday, but no one had been seriously hurt, except for the one horse that they'd had to shoot, as it had broken its leg.

But describing this incident to Reckness had been highly amusing!

And then the two of them, Nellie doing much of the work, had put a bucket filled with marking ink, spirit gum and lard on the open doorjamb over Marjorie Blundell's dormitory. It had actually fallen on the head of Pandora, the scullery girl, but that had been even funnier!

Reckness had told Nellie stories of the evil pranks he'd pulled in dancing school, and all sorts of other clever things. "But it's so much more interesting to have a partner in crime" Reckness had laughed, "After all, you can see, and do much of the heavy lifting."

Now they lay on the blankets in the attic, naked in the altogether…and Nellie traced her finger on Reckness's almost hairless chest. What a broad chest, though. Reckness's milky white eyes were gazing off into nothing, but he seemed to be smiling.

Did he love Nellie? Did it matter? Nellie had never understood old married people. Her mother bossed her father, and her father cringed about, and it seemed not a way to live, although they were the richest people in Walnut Grove. When Nellie had read Thackeray's book about Becky Sharp, she'd thought that might be a life worth leading. But again, Reckness didn't say much about a life together, so he probably didn't want to be Nellie's Rawdon Crawley…

"What are you thinking about, Reckness?"

"I—I was listening to some housemaid gossip and I think Mary Ingalls has been consorting with Adam Kendall…it's a shame more couldn't know about this, don't you think, Nellie my girl?"

Delicious!

MARJORIE BLUNDELL

"Recki, do you love me…you-you only meet me in the attic late at night."

"How did things go with the razor, Marjorie?"

"I…I went to Mary's room, but she wasn't there. Thank you for lettin' me tell you about that. I-I thought you'd try to stop me."

"I thought it would be funnier to just—just cut Mary Ingalls. Give her a harelip."

"What?"

"Mary Ingalls was rude to me, Marjorie. Although I don't like her as much as I like—"

"LOVE!"

"Yes, love you; I really think Miss Ingalls is a rude young woman. She hurt your Recki, Marjorie…and that's so sad."

"No one should hurt you, Recki!"